Nuclear message in a plastic bottle

By Jay Fang 方儉

The problems with the containment vessels at the plant do not stop there.

Broken rebars about 3cm thick have been found in the ninth shear wall. According to Atomic Energy Council (AEC, 原能會) records they have discovered 47 broken rebars in the shear wall of the containment vessels between the reactor and the fuel pool. This means there is a possibility that the shear wall is not structurally sound, and the number of broken rebars is likely to be higher than the AEC’s findings.

According to structural engineering standards, the shear wall should be knocked down and rebuilt.

However, construction of the plant is going ahead, and nothing has been torn down and rebuilt. Even worse, the AEC only issued a small fine of NT$300,000 to Taipower, without demanding any safety inspections or verifications.

Nuclear safety can be discussed anywhere in the world — but not in Taiwan, because nuclear safety does not exist here.

After almost 40 years of nuclear power, there has been no nuclear disaster. Statistically speaking, that is highly improbable. Ma does not necessarily have to listen humbly to the opinions of nuclear power opponents, nor does he have to spend money on bringing in foreign teams for certification purposes.

However, he has to take notice of the message about nuclear safety contained in that plastic bottle.